PhoneValet phones up newer, better version (with great extensions)
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Sep 14, 2005 at 12:07am
With PhoneValet 3.0 from Parliant and its accompanying extensions, PhoneValet Anywhere, a great tool for the Mac-using SOHO (small office/home office) and home user has gotten substantially better.
The latest version of PhoneValet Message Center adds such features as: custom ring-tones for an audio signature indicating exactly who’s calling; call blocking for unwanted calls; individualized voice-mail greetings to give special callers special messages; and enhanced Spotlight Search of PhoneValet Message Center call logs for Macs equipped with Mac OS X 10.4 (“Tiger”).
At first I though the custom ring-tones was an extravagance, but the more I’ve used them, the more I like them. It’s nice to know whether it’s one of my softball players or Mom calling just by an hearing an audible cue.
I also appreciate the call blocking feature. A profile can be assigned to individual or multiple phone numbers, to out-of-area numbers and even to “private” numbers that don’t pop up on Caller ID. Call blocking stops the local paper from constantly calling me to ask if I want to renew my subscription. And all those calls from Steve Jobs, well, I can only offer so much advice …
And I love the Spotlight integration. If you’ve used the Tiger search technology, you know how great it is. And PhoneValet’s support just makes a fine Mac app even more user-friendly and useful.
On the other hand, I haven’t found much use for the individualized voice-mail greetings to give special callers special messages. Most folks whom I need to leave special messages for, I just call directly. But maybe that’s just me.
PhoneValet can e-mail missed calls to a specified e-mail account, which is very convenient when I’m, say, on the road covering a Macworld Expo. You can log and archive your calls and messages, as well, something I’ve found incredibly useful since starting my own business. And did I mention the shared voice/fax management on the same phone line?
PhoneValet Anywhere
PhoneValet Anywhere is an extension to the PhoneValet Message Center 3.0 telecommunications hub for small businesses, homes and home offices. Equipped with PhoneValet Anywhere and PhoneValet Podcast, anyone using PhoneValet Message Center 3.0 can access PhoneValet messages and reports, call log and phone book information from their Mac through an Internet connection anywhere in the world.
PhoneValet Anywhere installs “into” PhoneValet 3.0, but is activated only when you enter your purchased codes into the app’s preferences. Once that’s done, the server options become available. Two user accounts are included with the PhoneValet Anywhere price; however, you can buy additional ones if you wish.
Incoming call info shows up on remote computers (either on the local network or on the Internet) by installing the PhoneValet Client software. The Caller ID for incoming calls are displayed on the Mac running PhoneValet Client. Macs running the client can give you the info both visually and audibly. The client software runs unobtrusively in the background, only displaying information when calls are announced.
Unfortunately, I’ve had to use Phone Valet Anywhere quite a bit lately as I’ve been visiting Dad, who’s back in the hospital. Fortunately, PhoneValet Anywhere works as Parliant promises and has helped keep the Macsimum News enterprise up and running despite a schedule by Yours Truly that’s even more hectic than normal.
You can also use PhoneValet Web Access with Mac OS X’s built-in Web server. If you do so, you can access the Message Center, Phonebook and Call Log, and Message Center through straightforward Web pages. Pretty cool.
PhoneValet Anywhere costs US$79.95 for the Web server software and a two-user license. Additional user licenses are $19.95 each. It requires the PhoneValet Message Center 3.0 hardware and software package for Mac OS X, priced at $199.95. Existing PhoneValet 2.x customers can upgrade for $29.95 per phone line.
PhoneValet Podcast is another software extension for PhoneValet Message Center 3.0. It comes in a bundle that includes the VST edition of SoundSoap 2 and Peak Express from BIAS. Including PhoneValet 3.0 hardware and software, the price of the PhoneValet Podcast bundle is $249.95. Existing PhoneValet 3.0 customers can upgrade to PhoneValet Podcast for $74.95.
My experiments with PhoneValet Podcast have been extremely basic so far. However (and you heard it here first), we are planning the “Macsimum Podcast” for the near future, and this is one solution we’re considering for implementing it. I can offer more details once I determine exactly what form the podcast will take.
However, there’s a good chance that we’ll be using PhoneValet’s abilities to optimize recorded telephone voice conversations for the ‘casts, using Peak Express and SoundSoap 2 for audio filtering and editing software.
Finally, as in previous versions, the PhoneValet Message Center software supports caller ID popups that announce caller names and numbers as calls come in. Mac users can hear voice announcements for those incoming calls. There’s something incredibly cool about using your Mac for your telephonic needs; it just fits in so well with the whole digital hub concept. And with version 3.0 and its accompanying extensions the digital hub has several new spokes.
System requirements: a Mac with USB port, Mac OS X 10.2 or higher (Mac OS X 10.4 for Spotlight integration), QuickTime 6.5 or better and an analog phone line.
Macsimum rating: 9 out of 10.
kukodesign Says:
Mr.Gagne thanks for the honest review for this money what they asking for this type of units we do need more informations.The sad thing I heard the same kind of opinion about the other manufacturer.
Later I will buy some of them because no more products like this for the OS X just this + the other comp.prod.But good to know the negative sides.
Posted on March 24, 2006
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Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
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Jeff Gagne Says:
I have followed this product for a year or so as I was hoping to replace my Color Classic and 1992 YoYo device from Big Island Software, LONG out of business. What’s funny to me is this update adds some features that my YoYo has had for 13 years!!! I can’t believe telephony applications have advanced so slowly and how things like pop-up Caller ID, unknown or specifc number call blocking, and individual ring tones, would not have been a V1 feature. I do like the ability to record a call as I often need to refer back after a conference call etc. for notes. However, once again this product fails to do what a 20 year old tape recorder does and auto record a conversation upon pickup. No I guess I have to open this thing and fumble with their application while I try to sound coherent at the start of a call. Or worse I forget! Don’t get me wrong, this is a great product fom what I’ve read but I’m just stupified why it’s so hard to get an application like this feature set at least equal to what exists and then add the other stuff. For now my little color classic sit’s a the corner of my desk, with custom rings tones, caller ID and call logging, blocking calls, auto forwarding calls, emailing me missed calls, etc., etc., etc. It’s all cool, but so 90s! ;-)
Posted on September 14, 2005